Atholl Duncan joins The Drum as a blogger
The Drum has enlisted former senior BBC executive Atholl Duncan to blog about the media industry.
The former head of news at BBC Scotland, now executive director of accountancy body ICAS, will write about TV, radio, online and newspapers in his News Just In column.
You can read Duncan's first blog below...
LORD SUGAR'S JOB ON THE LINE
I take it most of you were particularly unimpressed with the Apprentice candidates' attempts to film a pet food commercial?
Did you squirm through the creation of Everydog and Cat Size – the new brands which failed to tickle his Lordship’s tummy?
A bitter Sugar vented his frustration with a brace of firings in a single show. Team leader Vincent and his sidekick Ellie ended up getting the double bullet as they made a dog’s breakfast of the Bonzo branding challenge.
The rejected Apprentice candidates might be consoled with the news that his Lordship himself faces one all mighty task of his own as he seeks to revolutionise the TV industry.
He is now installed as Chairman of “You View”. It’s a partnership including the BBC, ITV, BT, Channel 4, Talk Talk, Arqiva and Channel 5. It aims to make one of the biggest changes to the way we view our content since the test card turned colour.
It brings together live digital TV, with the catch up players and video from the web. It opens up the airwaves to me, you and anyone who wants to broadcast video content to audiences around the UK. The cost will be a fraction of what it would take for any of us to set up distribution of content today on digital channels.
One of the principles of “You View” is openness. This could bring great opportunity for Local TV, the arts and creative sectors as well as industry and education.
Lord Sugar’s colleagues on this real life Apprentice task are promising consumer tests by the end of 2011. The service is expected to launch for real in 2012.
Two hundred and thirty content providers are already showing an interest.
“You View” say it won’t kill conventional, scheduled TV channels. Good news for the broadcasters like the BBC, who enjoyed a mighty 8 million viewers and 30% share for the first programme of this season’s Apprentice.
But “You View” isn’t all going swimmingly. Lord Sugar’s predecessor as chairman sloped off after murmurings about the project running behind schedule.
Sky and others will be watching this one like a hawk with concerns over how “You View” might disrupt their increasing success in TV markets.
This is a task worth watching. Can Lord Sugar succeed in changing the world of TV from a boardroom behind the cameras?
Atholl Duncan
Former Senior BBC Executive. Now Executive Director of ICAS – professional body of accountants.